Hi - I've got an XP laptop I'm going to try to use for audio recording and looking to buy an interface. My mic is an AT 4033a, used with a Reflexion Filter Pro (the original model). There will be a duvet behind the singer.

1 *Good* preamps, not excellent (like RME is excellent) is what I'm looking for. A two mic input (at least one with phantom power) is really all that is needed, with a separate headphone out that has a dedicated volume control.

2. But it would be extra nice if it had MIDI input as well.

3. Zero-latency monitoring would be nice, and being greedy, so would some zero-latency reverb, so the singer could hear some reverb in the cans.

4. An included stripped down version of Cubase would be great too (AI or LE) - I have Cubase 6.50 on my main desktop DAW.

I looked at the Steinberg UR and CI interfaces, but they aren't offered for Cubase XP. Similarly, for NI KA6.

Would anyone have any suggestions? I imagine something like $200-300 US is reasonable to expect to spend?

The Akai EIE Pro was reviewed in SOS May '12 , and it seems to have all the boxes checked except it has no DSP in zero-latency monitoring ... *with the caveat that* the *quality* of the preamps wasn't really addressed much beyond that they "offer a good deal of gain, and seem relatively noise-free".

That Akai EIE Pro, the Alesis IO4, and the Roland Quad Capture ( SOS user review of the Rolad device HERE , niggly downside is no Cubase software included) seem like the ones for the short list ... any suggesions/comments, especially on comparing the preamp/overall sound, would be much appreciated - thanks!